Public Relations and the Advertising Industry The public relations industry, the same as advertising, is concentrated in the hands of few dominant firms. Still, the striking element about corporate public relations is that PR firms are tightly related to advertising companies. Nine out of the ten biggest international PR agencies have close ties with the advertising industry. Also, looking at the largest acquisitions involving U.S. PR firms from 1997 to 1999 it is apparent that money coming from advertising agencies has played an important role. Table: Top 10 PR Firms 1998 Rank 1998 PR Firm Advertising Agency Related 1998 Net Fees (in U.S. $) 1997 - 1998 % Change 1 Burson-Marsteller yes 258,417,000 4.2 2 Hill and Knowlton yes 206,000,000 8.9 3 Porter Novelli Int. yes 183,050,000 23.6 4 Shandwick yes 170,300,000 7.3 5 Fleishman-Hillard yes 160,692,000 19.1. 6 Edelman PR Worldwide no 157,840,530 18.1 7 Ketchum yes 125,248,000 29.6 8 BSMG Worldwide yes 118,963,000 93.0 9 Weber PR Worldwide yes 83,166,000 36.2 10 GCI/APCO yes 79,667,957 28.4 With many PR agencies sold to advertising companies, the advertising industry's influence further increases; enabling them to offer their clients not only advertising services, but also know-how in marketing, public opinion, crisis and issues management and political lobbying. Table: Acquisition of PR Agencies (1997 - 1999) Acquired Company Buyer Buyers Industry Estimated Purchase Price (in millions of U.S. $) International PR Interpublic Group of Cos. Advertising 230 Fleishman-Hillard Omicom Group Advertising 85 Ketchum Omnicom Group Advertising 60 Dewe Rogerson Incepta Advertising 40 Financial Rel. Bd. BSMG/TN Public Relations 33 Weber PR Interpublic Group of Cos. Advertising 15 Alexander WPP Group Advertising 15 Charles Barker BSMG/TN Public Relations 15 Source: Odwyerpr.com.

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Implant technology Kevin Warwick at the University of Reading works on implant technologies which could enhance or modify functions of the limbs and the brain, or bring back functionalities lost, for example, in an accident or as a consequence of a stroke. Implants are also used for identification in "intelligent buildings" where they serve to control "personnel flows". However, the real potential of electronic implants seems to lie in the field of electronic drugs. The basics of the brain computer interface are already explored, and there are now efforts to electronically modify the function of the mind. Large software and IT companies are sponsoring this research which could result in the commercialisation of electronic drugs, functioning as anti-depressants, pain killers and the like. Evidently, the same technologies can also be used as narcotic drugs or to modify people's behaviour. The functioning of body and mind can be adapted to pre-defined principles and ideals, their autonomous existence reduced and subjected to direct outside control.

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1913: Henry Ford and the Assembly Line Realizing that he'd need to lower costs Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company) was inspired to create a more efficient way to produce his cars. Looking at other industries he and his team found four principles, which furthered their goal: interchangeable parts, continuous flow, division of labor, and reducing wasted effort. The use of interchangeable parts meant making the individual pieces of the car the same every time. Therefore the machines had to be improved, but once they were adjusted, they could be operated by a low-skilled laborer. To reduce the time workers spent moving around Ford refined the flow of work in the manner that as one task was finished another began, with minimum time spent in set-up. Furthermore he divided the labor by breaking the assembly of the legendary Model T in 84 distinct steps. Frederick Taylor, the creator of "scientific management" was consulted to do time and motion studies to determine the exact speed at which the work should proceed and the exact motions workers should use to accomplish their tasks. Putting all those findings together in 1913 Ford installed the first moving assembly line that was ever used for large-scale manufacturing. His cars could then be produced at a record-breaking rate, which meant that he could lower the price, but still make a good profit by selling more cars. For the first time work processes were largely automated by machinery.

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Adi Shamir Adi Shamir was one of three persons in a team to invent the RSA public-key cryptosystem. The other two authors were Ron Rivest and Leonard M. Adleman.

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America Online Founded in 1985, America Online is the world's biggest Internet service provider serving almost every second user. Additionally, America Online operates CompuServe, the Netscape Netcenter and several AOL.com portals. As the owner of Netscape, Inc. America Online plays also an important role in the Web browser market. In January 2000 America Online merged with Time Warner, the worlds leading media conglomerate, in a US$ 243,3 billion deal, making America Online the senior partner with 55 percent in the new company. http://www.aol.com http://www.aol.com/

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Mass production The term mass production refers to the application of the principles of specialization, division of labor, and standardization of parts to the manufacture of goods. The use of modern methods of mass production has brought such improvements in the cost, quality, quantity, and variety of goods available that the largest global population in history is now sustained at the highest general standard of living. A moving conveyor belt installed in a Dearborn, Michigan, automobile plant in 1913 cut the time required to produce flywheel magnetos from 18 minutes to 5 and was the first instance of the use of modern integrated mass production techniques.

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